Breaking Assumptions
by illjwamh
Summary: Bad first impressions can be hard to overcome. Two people who might otherwise have been friends (or more) can be driven apart if that first meeting goes poorly. The story of Lily and James.
1. 1 - First Meetings and First Impressions

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize – names, places, concepts – comes from the remarkable brain of J.K. Rowling. I've made up a few things to fill in the gaps, but the world belongs to her.

Notes: Fear not, I am still working on Harry Potter and the Order of Merlin. I am actually writing both stories simultaneously – there's a whole continuity I want to develop. I was originally planning to do three at once, the third being set in the future as Victoire makes her first trip to Hogwarts, but figured that might be a bit much. Maybe once these two are a little more established.

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CHAPTER ONE – FIRST MEETINGS AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Lily Evans was not what one would call a normal girl. Even a casual glance could tell you that much. Her father's hair was brown with hints of grey, her mother's blonde with the same, and her older sister Petunia even blonder. Lily's hair was a deep, auburn red, and thick and lush. She was not by any means a ginger, and her hair stood out all the more as a result. In addition, her almond-shaped eyes were a vibrant, piercing green – another feature she shared with none of her living relatives.

In personality, Lily stood out as well. She was outgoing and cheerful, with a sense of adventure that often made her parents (and her sister) nervous, she was never afraid to say what she thought and never backed down from a challenge. People were drawn to Lily; despite all these character traits that may well have made her brash and unpleasant, she was one of the kindest people you'd ever meet.

Oh, and she was a witch. This last bit was perhaps the least normal thing about Lily, as well as the part she was most proud of. She'd known for a while, of course; her friend Severus – a wizard himself – had told her over a year ago, and had been filling her head with stories of the magical school called Hogwarts where they were both apparently destined to attend. Only a few weeks ago, however, it had all been made real in the most spectacular way imaginable. A letter had arrived for her, written on thick old-fashioned parchment and with no postage or any other markings aside from an oddly specific address.

In the letter was an official notice of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, complete with a supply list and train ticket. Lily had never been more excited in her life…until the doorbell rang.

Calling at the Evans' small suburban home was a woman unlike anyone Lily had ever seen. She wore deep green, velvet flowing robes, a matching pointed hat, square spectacles, and had a stern yet kind expression on her face. She introduced herself to Lily's mother and father as Professor Minerva McGonagall, and explained that she was a witch who had come to offer Lily a position at her school.

Lily's heart had nearly exploded in her chest. Naturally, her parents had thought it was a hoax of some kind, until Professor McGonagall had caused all of their living room furniture to tap-dance around the room. Lily didn't think things could get any better until her parents took her to London to buy her school things, and she got her first look at the magical world she was about to join.

Diagon Alley looked like something out of a storybook, only it was better than anything any artist could ever have imagined. For one thing, it was real. She had so much fun looking at all the different shops, buying her school supplies and choosing a wand, she didn't even notice how much Petunia was being left out.

She felt bad about that afterwards, especially after Severus talked her into reading her sister's mail, even though she knew it was wrong. She should have realized how much it must have hurt Petunia to see all these amazing things happening for Lily and not be able to share in it, but it didn't truly strike her until she'd read Tuney's letter to the headmaster, begging to be admitted to Hogwarts as well. His response very gently explained that such a thing was simply not possible – a person was either magical or they were not. This exclusion tore at Lily's heart and made her feel incredibly guilty, even though Severus told her she shouldn't worry about it.

It turned out to be even worse than she thought. They day they left for London, Lily was so excited she could barely think straight, but she noticed that Petunia was acting very withdrawn. She kept trying to coax her sister out of it, saying she would speak to the headmaster and ask if he could make an exception, but Petunia was having none of it. If Lily had known where that conversation would eventually lead, she would have let it go. Alas, she'd persisted, and for all she knew ended up pushing her sister away forever.

Of course, Lily Evans was not the only one making that fateful first journey to King's Cross that day. Another first-time Hogwarts student, James Potter, arrived with his parents a good half hour before the Evans family. And it is here that our story truly begins.

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It was early; the platform wasn't very crowded and very few people were on the train yet, but James didn't mind. He knew his parents were nearly as excited as he was, and it was actually kind of funny. Anyone would think _they _were headed to their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as opposed to their only son.

Of course, being the only son had its benefits. They'd loaded his trunk with all sorts of sweets and snacks, they'd bought him the best set of scales in the shop when he'd asked (his mum seemed pleased he'd taken any interest at all in potions, which he'd always stuck his nose up at), and they'd even bought him his very own owl: a gold and brown speckled eagle owl he'd named Tiberius. The best of all of it though had happened that morning at breakfast, when his father had pulled him aside and handed him a small bundle wrapped in cloth.

'What is it?' he'd asked eagerly, but his father had made a shushing gesture and glanced nervously over his shoulder.

'Open it when you get to school, and under no circumstances is your mother to learn you have that.'

Naturally, James had opened the bundle as soon as both his parents were out of sight and discovered to his absolute glee that it contained a shimmering bit of fabric that James had recognized instantly as an invisibility cloak. He couldn't imagine what had possessed his father to buy such a thing for him, but he wasn't going to complain.

James said a quick goodbye to his parents, because he knew if he left it up to them they'd stand there hugging him for half an hour, and hopped onto the train. Without even looking where he was going, he strolled to the first compartment he came to, stowed his trunk and flopped down onto one of the seats. He stretched his arms and placed his hands behind his head, waiting for the train to fill up.

He didn't have long to wait. Not two minutes after he sat down, people began filing past his compartment door. It was a slow trickle at first, and mostly older students, but then more and more who were recognizably first years started to appear, and soon enough one of them entered his compartment asking to join him.

'Sure,' James agreed pleasantly, gesturing to the seat across from him with a grin.

'Thanks,' the boy said, and stowed his trunk before taking a seat. 'Max Decker,' he said.

'James Potter.'

They got to talking, and Max seemed a pleasant enough bloke. He was a bit shorter than James, but a little broader as well and his brown hair was clearly much more manageable. Soon they were joined by three other boys who introduced themselves as Peter Pettigrew, who was short and almost-but-not-quite chubby and seemed a little nervous, Lucas Shields who was tall and thin with very large ears and had a very resounding voice, and Sirius Black, who was about James' height with black hair and as much exuberance as James himself.

The conversation turned, inevitably, to Quiddich. Lucas, it seemed, was a Chudley Cannons fan, which James and Sirius in particular found amusing. Sirius, as it turned out, was a Pride of Portree fan like himself.

'Not really sure why, to be honest,' Sirius admitted with a shrug. 'I've always just liked them.'

'I know why I like them,' James said. 'First match my dad ever took me to was Portree vs. Kenmare. It was bloody brilliant. The Pride won it after about six hours and I was a fan for life. They won the league that year, too.'

Peter favored the Montrose Magpies, which led to groans from everyone else in the compartment.

'What?' Peter demanded indignantly.

'What do you mean "What?"' Sirius said. 'Montrose? Really?' Peter still clearly didn't understand what he'd done wrong.

'Montrose is the devil, mate,' James explained. 'Nobody has any business winning that much.'

'What's wrong with winning? It means they're a good team!' Peter insisted.

'Yeah, but they're boring.' Sirius said. 'You have to know a good half of those wins are bought. The Magpies steal up all the best players; their payroll has to be twice as high as anyone else's.'

'All right, ease up,' Max said, laughing. 'He's free to like the Money Magpies if he likes.' James and the others laughed and Peter huffed.

'What about you, Decker?' James asked. 'What's your team?'

'Appleby,' Max answered simply. Sirius grinned.

'Always liked them too. Least, I cheer for 'em cuz it annoys my brother. He's a Wimbourne fan, see,' he explained with a wicked grin. James laughed, and just as he did the door slid open again and a girl stood there, looking surprised.

'Oh, I'm sorry,' she said quickly. 'I didn't notice there were people in here.' How she could have missed it James could not imagine; they weren't exactly keeping their voices down. But upon closer inspection the girl seemed to be rather upset; she might even have been crying.

'Hey, don't worry about it,' he said as she was turning to leave. 'Might as well join us. Most places are going to be full now anyway and you wouldn't want to end up with a bunch of older kids who won't talk to you.'

The girl murmured her thanks and moved to sit in the empty seat next to the window on the bench across from James. Sirius scooted over a little to make sure she had room. She was pretty, James thought, with her dark red hair that fell down past her shoulders. He wondered what she was upset about, for she had leaned her head against the glass and was looking out of it, clearly not intending to join the conversation.

A disparaging jest about Portree pulled James back into the Quiddich conversation and he and Sirius began enthusiastically defending their team. He put the girl out of his mind for the moment; maybe they could coax her into talking later when the sweets cart came by. He knew the value of taking time to think and so let her be, thinking she would join them when she was ready.

A few more minutes went by and another boy entered the compartment, though James barely noticed him. He sat down across from the girl without a word to anyone else and began talking to her. Apparently they knew each other, but James wasn't really interested in whatever they were talking about. That is, until he heard the boy say to her, 'You'd better be in Slytherin.'

It was perhaps the shock that anyone would _want_ to be in Slytherin as much as anything, but James was instantly pulled out of his own conversation – now centered around the national squads and which of them stood the best chance in the next World Cup, none of them making it past the second round in the previous one – and butted into theirs.

'Slytherin?' he asked, not bothering to hide his incredulity. The other boys appeared to have heard him, for their voices tapered off and they turned to listen. 'Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?' James asked, turning to Sirius.

For the first time since entering the compartment, Sirius was not smiling. 'My whole family have been in Slytherin,' he said. This was, to say the least, rather shocking.

'Blimey, and I thought you seemed all right!' James exclaimed, half joking and half serious. Now the other boy grinned again – the same grin as when he'd explained about deliberately rooting against his brother's Quiddich team.

'Maybe I'll break the tradition,' he declared. 'Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?'

For James there was of course no question. He mimed drawing a sword and holding it in the air. '"_Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!"'_ he proclaimed overdramatically, and then added with great pride, 'Like my dad.' Sirius grinned wider, and the other boys chuckled as well. The girl looked mildly amused – her lips quivered as though she might smile, anyway – but the Slytherin boy made a sort of disparaging snort. James turned on him, slightly annoyed. 'Got a problem with that?' he asked haughtily.

'No,' the boy answered, and James for the first time got a good look at him. He was very thin and sallow, and his very greasy hair fell in untidy curtains in front of his face. He was sneering, clearly not meaning what he'd just said. As if to make that point clear, he added, 'If you'd rather be brawny than brainy –' he trailed off, leaving the implication hanging. James was more than a little annoyed now and was about to throw something back at the pale and greasy boy when Sirius beat him to it.

'Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?' he quipped. James burst out laughing. It was even better than what he'd been about to say. Before the pale boy could respond, the girl sat up abruptly and looked back and forth between James and Sirius. She was rather flushed and clearly was not impressed by either of them.

'Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment,' she said loftily. If he'd heard her saying it without looking at her he would have imagined her nose sticking straight in the air from her tone.

'Ooooooo,' the other three boys jeered, and James laughed again.

'Yes, come along, Severus,' Sirius mocked, his falsetto making the girl sound like some of James's mother's stuffy old friends.

'Yes, yes,' James added, trying to make his own falsetto as lofty as he could. 'We needn't put up with this riffraff.' The girl flushed even deeper and as the two of them made to leave James stuck his foot out to trip the greasy-haired boy, who noticed at the last second and stepped over it.

'See ya, Snivellus!' Max called after them, and the door slammed shut. James was howling with laughter.

'Snivellus! That's brilliant!' he cried in mirth. 'I'm going to have to remember that one!'

'It's his parents' fault, really,' Max said. 'I mean honestly, what were they thinking naming him Severus?'

'Could be worse, I suppose,' Sirius put in. 'You should hear some of the names people in my family come up with.'

'Sirius doesn't seem so bad,' Peter said.

'Well it's not, of course,' Sirius waved indifferently. 'It's a brilliant name. I'm talking some of the weirder ones. Most everyone in my family is named for a star or a constellation. A lot of them are all right, but some…well, some are just bloody stupid. And my mum – my mum's name's _Walburga_.'

James cocked an eyebrow, and from the looks of the other boys' faces, he wasn't the only one confused.

'That's not a constellation, is it?' Lucas asked.

'No, it's not. She's named after Walpurgis Night or some such rubbish. But really now. Walburga? It's no wonder she's a bitter old hag; kids at school must have never let up on her for that one.'

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The rest of the train ride passed quickly for Lily and Severus. They had found another compartment half-filled with some slightly older students who hadn't seemed to mind two first years joining them. They talked excitedly of the things they would see at Hogwarts and the things they would do.

Lily couldn't pretend she wasn't disappointed by the behaviour of the boys in the other compartment. At first they had seemed all right, and the boy with the glasses had even seemed nice when he invited her to stay in their compartment. She had seen him glance over at her and pointedly decide to give her space, which she had appreciated. But then they'd had to go and act like complete prats, making fun of Severus for no reason and then her as well.

The worst of it was, the boy had said he wanted to be in Gryffindor. From all she'd read, Gryffindor had looked like the best house, and the one she wanted to be in no matter what Severus said. But that boy had behaved just as Severus claimed all Gryffindors did: arrogantly and immaturely. She sincerely hoped he was an exception and not the rule, because regardless of what Severus said about it, she hadn't liked the things she'd read about Slytherin house at all.

Oh, well. Perhaps Ravenclaw would be okay.

'You should get into your school robes,' someone said to Lily. It was one of the older students, a girl maybe a couple of years older than herself, with a kind, round face and shoulder-length dark blonde hair.

'Oh, are we nearly there?' Lily asked.

'Just about,' the girl said. 'Should be another ten minutes or so.'

Lily changed and felt her anticipation reach nearly unbearable levels. She was quivering with excitement and her heart was beating as though she'd drank far too much tea. Severus looked excited too, though he looked like he was enjoying her reaction as much as anything. A voice rang out announcing they were about to arrive, and to leave all their luggage behind. Lily immediately began imagining what kinds of magic would be used to transport it all up to the school for them.

As the train slowed to a stop, the round-faced girl and her friends helped Lily and Severus navigate their way through the crowd and off onto the platform. Lily thanked them politely and frowned when Severus didn't do the same. He must have noticed this, because a second later he murmured a small, 'Thanks,' even though the girl and her friends were already walking away.

She didn't have time to dwell on this though, because a booming voice was calling, 'FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY!' over the din and when she turned toward it she gasped and nearly lost her footing. A giant of a man with a wild mane of black hair and a beard to match was standing at the end of the platform, waving a tree-trunk of an arm in a beckoning motion as he called for them. The man quite frankly looked too big to be allowed, but despite his alarming appearance he had a very friendly expression on his face. Lily reminded herself not to judge on appearances and proceeded to drag Severus by the arm over toward the giant.

'Do you think he's safe?' Severus asked.

'Don't be silly, of course he is,' she replied. 'None of the older students are even paying any attention to him, so you know he must work at the school. I can't imagine not noticing someone like that if I weren't used to seeing him.'

Severus calmed down after that and allowed himself to be pulled along. Lily noticed the boys from earlier and swerved to avoid them. She thought the one with glasses might have spotted her, but thankfully he didn't do anything.

The giant – she really had to learn his name – led them down a steep and narrow path. There was a lot of stumbling, but nobody actually fell. As they were rounding a bend, she heard the booming voice call out again, 'There she is, ladies 'n gents: Hogwarts!' He swept his dustbin-lid hand in a grand gesture and Lily's breath caught in her throat. None of Severus's stories, none of the Disney movies or fantasy books she'd read could have ever prepared her for the most magnificent sight she'd ever beheld in her life. Situated over a cliff on the other side of a great black lake, the castle was massive; there were turrets and towers all around, and the lights in the windows seemed to blend seamlessly into the stars in the sky. To complete the image of perfection, the entire thing was reflected in the clear black lake along with a nearly full moon, so it looked like there were two castles – one above and one below.

Lily was so entranced with the sight of the castle that she almost walked straight into the lake. A hand larger than her head reached out to hold her back, and though there was a small amount of sniggering, it seemed most everyone else was spellbound as well and did not notice her mistake.

Regaining her senses, she looked around and noticed a small fleet of boats anchored at the shore. It was obvious what they were going to do even before the announcement of 'Four to a boat!'

Lily climbed into the nearest little boat and Severus crawled in after her. She could tell without looking that he was nervous; he had never learned to swim, after all. They were soon followed by a sickly looking boy with drooping brown hair and – she gritted her teeth – the black-haired boy with glasses after his four other mates filled up the boat next to them.

'Do you have to sit with us?' she asked, perhaps a bit more rudely than she should have.

'Unless you want to swap with one of those other blokes, looks like you're stuck with me,' he said with an infuriating smirk. 'I'm not too crazy about the company either,' he shot a sidelong glance at Severus, who scowled, 'but I'm not gonna make Pettigrew sit over here. Poor bloke's never had a real mate in his life, you can see it from looking at him.'

Lily didn't understand how this boy could be so thoughtful toward one person and so rude towards another at the same time. The boats shot forward with a lurch and Severus nearly fell over. The black-haired boy grinned but when he spoke again it thankfully wasn't another insult.

'Anyway, did I introduce myself?' he asked. 'James Potter.' He thrust his hand forward proudly. Lily was debating whether or not to shake it when she heard Severus mutter something under his breath.

'_Potter._ Of _course_.'

James Potter evidently heard it too, for his eyes narrowed dangerously. 'Is there something _wrong_ with my family?' he asked quite coldly. Lily, anxious to avoid another confrontation, put her hand out and said, 'Lily Evans.' Severus's eyes widened and he looked at her with an unreadable expression. Meanwhile James was looking back and forth between her and Severus, possibly deciding between taking her hand or pushing Severus into the lake.

Just as she thought it could not get any more awkward, he took her hand and she sighed mildly in relief.

'Pleased to meet you,' he said amiably enough. He glanced at Severus again but did not ask after his name. She hadn't really been expecting him to. Then he turned to the fourth member of their boat – the sick-looking boy – and greeted him pleasantly, asking his name.

'Er, Remus Lupin,' the boy said, shaking Potter's hand hesitantly. Wanting to appear friendly, Lily offered him her hand as well and flashed him an inviting smile, but he didn't respond beyond briefly shaking her hand and muttering 'Hullo.' He seemed incredibly shy. Though maybe, Lily thought, he was embarrassed about whatever illness he had.

While James Potter tried (with mild success) to engage Remus Lupin in conversation, Severus leaned over and hissed in her ear, 'What was that about?'

'What was what about?' she whispered back.

'Why are you talking to that arrogant git?' he demanded.

'I was just being polite, Sev. You should try it sometimes, maybe.'

'Right, because he was so polite to us back on the train,' Severus sneered.

'No, you're right,' she agreed. 'But he's being all right now, and if anything's going to happen it won't be because I started it.'

Severus opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a great cry of, 'Heads down!' They ducked and the boats carried them under a curtain of ivy overhanging the cliff face and into a dark tunnel. All conversation ceased as they drifted through the blackness until there was a series of crunching noises, and Lily felt her own boat joining the others at what appeared to be an underground harbour with a gravel shore.

They disembarked, and the giant did a quick head count before leading them up a stone staircase. Severus took the opportunity to say what he'd been about to say earlier.

'I'm telling you, Lily, he's not worth the effort. He says his last name's Potter – well, the Potters are one of the oldest, wealthiest wizarding families. He's probably lived his whole life with everything handed to him. No surprise at all he's such an arrogant ponce.'

Lily didn't get a chance to even form a response in her head because they had arrived at a pair of great oaken doors and the giant was banging his hand on them. This was it; she was finally at Hogwarts. She was going to be a witch.

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Here comes the true meaning of the story's title. True, a major theme is going to be about assumptions the characters make, and there will be a lot of jumping to conclusions and preconceived notions and whatnot. But that's not what the title refers to. No, I'm talking about certain aspects of the Marauder era that have pretty much become established convention at this point. Fanon. That is, there is nothing in canon to support these ideas, but they have cropped up in fanfics over and over so many times that people just accept them as if they were canon to begin with.

Each chapter – or near enough – I will attempt to break down some of these ideas, while at the same time not breaking canon. Most often the ideas I use in my story will be things I have assumed all along, and I simply don't see where these more common ideas even come from. Other times I'm just breaking convention for the fun of it. The most important thing to remember though is that I will not go against canon. If you think you spot something that does, please tell me.

ASSUMPTIONS

1. The Marauders all met on the train. I always see this. Yes, we know James and Sirius met there, but we have no indication that they met any of the others before the Sorting.

2. The "group of rowdy boys" in Snape's flashback is the Marauders. Again, people tend to assume this because of Assumption 1 and the presence of James and Sirius. I actually find it unlikely, since while he may not have cared much about Peter, Harry would surely have noticed if Remus had been there. Also…

3. The Marauders didn't meet any other friends. This ties in with both 1 and 2, and it really doesn't make any sense when you think about it. I mean, what are the odds that you will randomly meet the three people you're going to room with for the next seven years and nobody else on your first day. Hence the presence of Max Decker and Lucas Shields.

4. James was a jerk right from the start. We know from his relationship with the other Marauders, as well as his later relationship with Lily, that James is at heart a good person. And really even his jerkish behavior in the flashback was in response to Snape.

5. James or Sirius was the first one to call Snape "Snivellus". Again, I find this unlikely because of the wording of Rowling's narration. It says "a voice" called out, and Harry likely would have noted had it been his father or Sirius.

6. It took Lily a long time to recognize Snape's character flaws. I think she recognized them early on, but was willing to overlook them because he was her friend, and her first link to the wizarding world. Also, by the way she has been described by those who knew her, I see Lily as having a fairly forgiving personality.

That's it for chapter one. Be sure to come back for Round 2. Reviews are always appreciated!


	2. 2 - The Sorting Ceremony

Notes: The first few chapters of this might be a little boring for people familiar with Harry's story (i.e. everyone who would have any reason to read this), since Lily and James are basically going through the same stuff Harry did, but that's pretty much a necessity. I wanted to tell their whole story, not jump in part-way through. Don't worry; the recappy stuff ends pretty quickly.

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CHAPTER TWO – THE SORTING CEREMONY

The door was answered by a very severe looking woman with black hair pulled back into a tight bun. The expression on her face reminded Lily of her least favourite primary school teacher, and she knew immediately that she didn't ever want to do anything to get on this particular professor's bad side.

'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,' the giant announced.

'Thank you, Hagrid,' the woman replied. At last Lily knew what he was called, and she could stop thinking of him as "the giant" in her head.

Professor McGonagall opened the doors completely and as Hagrid waved farewell, she beckoned them inside to an Entrance Hall so vast they may as well have still been outside. She couldn't even see the ceiling. A gleaming marble staircase rose opposite them, and she had to suppress an urge to run over and climb it at that very second. Professor McGonagall led them across the hall and into a small antechamber. Along the way they passed another great set of double doors behind which Lily could hear the din of hundreds of voices.

The antechamber was slightly cramped, but most people were so nervous or excited that there were no complaints. Once they were all inside, Professor McGonagall addressed them.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' she said briskly though not unkindly. 'In a few moments you will join us in the Great Hall for the start-of-term feast, but before that you must be sorted into your respective houses. For those who do not know, there are four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and has produced extraordinary witches and wizards over the centuries.

'While you are at Hogwarts, your house will be something of an extended family. You will attend classes with the other students of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. Also, you will compete with other houses for the House Cup, which is awarded at the end of the year to the house which has accumulated the most house points. Points are awarded by teachers for various accomplishments as they see fit, and can also be deducted by any member of staff or by the Head Boy and Girl and the school prefects as a consequence for rule-breaking. I trust each of you will be an asset to whichever house becomes your own.'

She pulled a watch from her pocket and examined it. 'The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly in front of the rest of the school. Please take the next few minutes to make yourselves as presentable as possible.' She turned her gaze on Severus, whose hair was once again obscuring his face, and on another boy who appeared to be wearing his cloak backwards. Moments later she swept from the room, saying she would return when it was time for them to enter, and they were left alone with their anticipation.

'What do you think they want us to do?' Lily asked Severus. None of the books she'd read said anything about the Sorting, and now that she stopped to think about it, Severus had never said anything about it either.

'I don't know,' he said. 'My mother never told me and I…I don't know anyone else who's gone through it.' His shoulders drooped and Lily immediately felt guilty; she knew how lonely his childhood had been and what a sore spot it was for him.

'Well, it can't be too difficult,' she said in an attempt to bolster his spirits (and her own). 'After all, it's not like they're going to bring us all the way here just to send us home again.'

Various theories were tossed about by many different people and they ranged from things like pulling a rabbit out of a hat or sitting a test on spell knowledge to wrestling a troll or stealing from a dragon. Fortunately, most everyone agreed that last one was unlikely, though a squat, mousy boy Lily recognized as having been in the compartment with James Potter did seem seriously concerned about the troll idea.

Before the theories become too outlandish – well, more outlandish than dragons – Professor McGonagall came back to collect them. She put them into a line and led them back across the Entrance Hall and through the second set of double doors. Lily was walking in front of Severus and behind sickly Remus Lupin, and she heard gasps from both of them as soon as they passed through the threshold. She would not have thought it possible moments ago, but the Great Hall was even more magnificent than the Entrance Hall. The ceiling was just as high, though it looked as though there were no ceiling at all. She had read how it was enchanted to look like the sky outside, but reading about something and seeing it for yourself are two entirely different things. It took her breath away.

As the line moved, she got a good look at the rest of the hall. Hundreds of floating candles hung suspended over four long tables crowded with students, and they were making their way toward a fifth table set perpendicular to the rest and raised on a small dais where several adults – presumably the other teachers – sat in waiting. In the center of them, seated in a golden chair that looked rather like a throne, was a man with very long silver hair with a beard to match, wearing star-spangled midnight blue robes. This must be the headmaster, she thought. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the giant – Hagrid – enter through a side door and take a seat at the end of the head table next to an angry-looking man with stringy hair and massive, drooping jowls. He looked rather like a bulldog gone to seed.

Once they were all lined up in front of the head table, Professor McGonagall laid out a small four-legged stool in front of them, and placed upon it a pointed wizard's hat that was so worn Lily mused it might have been as old as the castle itself.

'Maybe that rabbit thing was spot on then, you think?' she asked Severus, trying to lighten the mood, for the tension had grown nearly thick enough to choke on. He said nothing in response, but stared at the hat with an intensity she had rarely seen in him. And then, without warning, a tear near the brim of the hat opened and it burst into a jaunty, fast-paced song.

_Oh, you may think I'm barmy,_

_ A talking hat like me_

_ But don't be getting smarmy_

_ I'll tell you what I see._

_ I can look inside your head_

_ And tell you where to go_

_ Laugh all you want but it is said_

_ Your hearts I truly know._

_ If you're brave and daring_

_ You belong in Gryffindor_

_ It doesn't matter what you're wearing_

_ Stout of heart's what they look for._

_ Slytherin will take you_

_ If you've got what it takes_

_ To always seek out your due_

_ No matter what the stakes._

_ In Hufflepuff they always say_

_ Work hard for pleasing ends_

_ Loyalty will win the day_

_ And kindness wins you friends._

_ Wise Ravenclaws, they break the mold_

_ For wit beyond measure_

_ Is man's greatest treasure_

_ Or so I have been told._

_ That's all four, so now you know_

_ The places where you're bound to go_

_ Which one for you? Let's take a look_

_ For I can read you like a book._

_ But now I've gabbed too long, I fear_

_ So let's end this lyrical sloggin'_

_All you have to do, my dear_

_Is put me on your noggin! _

The Great Hall burst into applause as the hat bowed to each long table in turn, and Lily couldn't help joining in. It really was a splendid song, for a hat. And moreover, the Sorting now looked like it might actually be kind of fun. Try on a hat and it looks in your head? Much better than fighting a troll, if she did say so herself.

She was sure now she wanted Gryffindor, after hearing the hat so succinctly describe each house's values. They all sounded nice, but for Lily there could only be one option. Growing up, her father had always said they'd have to invent a new word to describe her because "daring" just didn't cover it. She had smiled widely and thought fondly of him upon hearing the hat say it.

Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a long scroll of parchment. She stood to the side and called out, 'When I read your name, step forward and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Once it has placed you, proceed to your new house table.' She looked down at the scroll and called, 'Abbott, Belinda!' A slender girl with a long blonde braid stepped forward, sat on the stool and put on the hat. Nothing happened.

Lily was beginning to wonder if it was possible to fail the Sorting after all when the hat finally yelled out, 'HUFFLEPUFF!'

A great smattering of cheers rang out from the table second from the right, and Belinda Abbott replaced the hat on the stool and ran to join them. Then Professor McGonagall called out 'Avery, Jarvis!' A lanky boy with a snake-like face and pointed nose walked over and put on the hat. After only a few seconds this time, the hat called out 'SLYTHERIN!' Jarvis Avery adopted a cocky smirk and swaggered over to sit with his new housemates. She noticed Severus watching him from the corner of her eye.

'It must take longer to decide for some people,' she mused to no one in particular.

'Maybe if you have qualities of more than one house it has to decide which you have more of?' murmured a voice from her left. It was Remus Lupin, who hadn't said a word to her since the boats.

'That sounds like it makes sense,' she said, nodding. Then Severus spoke from her right, too quietly for Remus to hear.

'Or maybe you don't have any of those qualities at all, and it has to decide what you come closest to.' He was looking down at the floor and Lily felt her heart ache. It didn't happen often, but every once in a while Severus would fall into a sort of melancholy, losing his sense of self-worth. She knew it stemmed from his parents, but she never quite knew what to do or say when it happened. He usually snapped out of it again before too long.

'GRYFFINDOR!' the hat shouted, making her jump, for she'd momentarily stopped paying attention. She hadn't heard who was sorted, but when she looked up she saw a boy with smooth black hair running over to the table on the far left. The hair looked familiar, but she couldn't place him without seeing his face. Her attention was drawn away from him when 'Botner, Beatrix!' was called, and when she looked back again she couldn't find him.

As the sorting went on, Lily noted with interest the difference in time it took to sort each person. Belinda Abbott seemed to be the norm rather than the exception, as most students sat on the stool for about ten or twenty seconds. A few took even longer than that; 'Cooper, Amy' sat on the stool for well over a minute before the hat finally declared her a Hufflepuff. No one had yet been sorted as quickly as Jarvis Avery, though.

When 'De Vries, Inka' was sent to Ravenclaw, the second table from the left went mad. She was their third one in a row. And then Professor McGonagall said, 'Evans, Lily!'

She stepped forward, knees suddenly shaking. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Whatever happened here, it would profoundly affect the rest of her life. She knew this in her bones.

She sat down and almost forgot to pick up the hat, but Professor McGonagall did it for her. And then it all happened so fast: she felt the hat drop onto her head and light was blocked out as it fell over her eyes, a voice in her head she couldn't identify said 'Ha!' followed by a belting cry of 'GRYFFINDOR!' The suddenness made her jump a little, and before she'd even made herself comfortable on the stool she was standing again, pulling the hat off and handing it back, and then hurrying toward the table full of her new housemates, who were cheering her welcomingly.

She turned and looked at Severus, who was looking quite miserable, and offered him an apologetic smile. But really, what had he expected?

A boy scooted along the bench to make room for her, and when she turned to thank him she noticed it was the same black-haired boy who along with James Potter had made fun of her and Severus on the train that morning. She crossed her arms and resolutely turned away, refusing to speak to him.

The Sorting went on, and there were no more Gryffindors until Remus Lupin joined them, taking the seat across from her. He was then immediately followed by 'MacDonald, Mary' and 'McDowell, Audrey,' leading to the same tumultuous applause as had come from the Ravenclaw table earlier.

A very unpleasant-looking boy named 'Mulciber, Maurice' was sent to Slytherin almost as quickly as Jarvis Avery had been, and then 'Pettigrew, Peter' sat on the stool for a minute and a half, looking ready to cry throughout most of it, before finally being sent to Gryffindor. He sat down next to Remus Lupin.

And then it was James Potter's turn. He strode confidently to the stool as though he'd never been nervous about a thing in his life and wouldn't even know how if he ever needed to be. The hat had barely touched his head when it screamed 'GRYFFINDOR!' and he stood and walked casual as could be toward them. Lily noticed Severus watching the boy with intense dislike.

'I think he might've been even faster than you,' said the black-haired boy, speaking to her. It was the first time she'd heard him use a non-mocking tone. 'You two have definitely been the fastest so far. And maybe that Avery bloke.' Lily did not respond. James Potter came and sat on Remus Lupin's other side, directly across from the black-haired boy. They clasped hands across the table.

'Well done, mate,' said the other boy.

'You too,' said Potter. 'Slytherin my arse, eh?'

'Decker got Ravenclaw, did you see?'

'Yeah. You think Shields'll get it too?'

'Probably. He said his mum's family all have been, right? He seemed like a smart enough bloke.'

'Do you mind?' Lily interrupted them as politely as she could manage. 'I'm trying to listen to the Sorting. She'd missed two people's names now: a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin. She'd been hoping to use this opportunity learn all of her classmates' names.

'Are we really that loud?' Potter asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow. Lily had the grace to blush.

'Er, no. You're just distracting, I guess. Sorry.'

'No worries,' said the other boy. 'You think that friend of yours'll get Slytherin like he wants?'

'What do you care?' Lily asked him as another boy was sorted into Ravenclaw.

'I don't, really,' he shrugged. 'Just making conversation.'

'Oy, it's Shields!' Potter called out, and the two of them turned to watch. Lily vaguely remembered him from the train as well, though unlike the two she was with at the moment, he hadn't said anything obnoxious. That she was aware of.

'RAVENCLAW!' cried the hat, and the two boys clapped politely for him. And then McGonagall called, 'Snape, Severus!' Lily watched her friend approach the stool and place the hat on his head. Tense silence followed.

'Snape,' black-hair mused. 'I don't recognize the surname; he must be half-blood.'

'Wonder why he wants into Slytherin so badly then?' Potter said. Lily anxiously shushed them and they surprisingly flashed her matching apologetic winces just before the hat yelled, 'SLYTHERIN!' to the hall, and Severus removed it, walking over to the table on the other end of the hall where he sat next to a much older blond boy who clapped him on the back. And then, as if nothing momentous had just happened at all, McGonagall called, 'Summerby, Quentin!' and the Sorting continued.

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It turned out that James was the last Gryffindor to be sorted. After indulging Lily so she could watch her greasy friend be sorted, there were only three more students to go. Finally, after 'Wilkes, Virgil', was quickly sorted into Slytherin, the headmaster rose to speak. James had heard about Albus Dumbledore from his parents and had always taken the stories with a grain of salt, but seeing him in person it was easy to imagine this calm but in-control old man doing all those miraculous things.

Conversation died down immediately when Dumbledore stood. The old man paused only for a moment and then said, 'There is nothing I could say that could possibly warrant delaying the feast any longer. Tuck in!'

Instantly, the tables filled with every type of mouth-watering dish imaginable. 'Wow,' whispered Lily, clearly awestruck by it all. Which meant she was most likely Muggle-born, though how that fit with her already knowing someone like Snape was beyond him at the moment.

'Not bad, eh?' he said to her as he pulled some roast duck onto his plate. 'Of course, I doubt we'll be eating like this every day, mind.' He took a bite and swallowed it before continuing. 'But I wouldn't complain, you know?'

'Will it always just appear like this?' she asked. She seemed to have forgotten for the moment to be cross with him.

'Could be,' he said, shrugging and taking another bite of duck. 'I think it's probably more for the spectacle of the first day, though.'

'That's right,' said a new voice. James looked and saw it had come from the older boy sitting on the other side of Sirius from Lily. He looked about fifteen or so and had a scarlet and gold badge on his robes with the letter 'P' on it. 'Feasts like this are a special occasion,' he explained, looking around Sirius so as to include Lily in the conversation too. 'We have them for things like start-of-term, end-of-term, Hallowe'en and such. Most days the food's already laid out when you get here, and it's not quite so posh.'

'Ah,' James said through a mouthful of potatoes. 'Makes sense.'

'My name's Frank, by the way,' he said, holding out his hand. 'Frank Longbottom. I'm a Prefect,' he indicated his badge, 'so if you ever need help with anything you can ask me. There's a lot here that takes some getting used to.' James shook Frank's hand who then offered it to Lily and Sirius in turn.

'Is it true there are ghosts in the castle?' Lily asked avidly. 'I haven't seen any yet.'

'You know, now that you mention it, they should be here. They're usually at the welcome feast as far as I know.'

As if that had been their cue, roughly two dozen pearly white figures drifted in through the walls of the hall, causing more than a few startled yelps from many of the first-years.

'Brilliant,' Sirius said with a grin. 'You know, I've never actually seen one before.'

'Watch out if one of them sits next to you,' Frank advised. 'It can be a bit of a shock if you pass through them by accident.'

'Ah!' exclaimed yet another new voice, this one from behind. James turned and saw a ghost wearing tights and ruff standing – er, _floating_ – behind him. 'The first-years! Welcome to Gryffindor!' he said exuberantly, and then made to clap James on the shoulder. Of course, his hand passed right through, and James shivered violently as though someone had just upended a bucket of ice water over his head. He heard giggling and turned to see Lily with her eyes squinted shut and her hand over her mouth. Sirius was sniggering too.

'Evening, Nick!' Frank greeted the ghost. 'What's kept you lot tonight?'

'Oh, the usual, I'm afraid,' said the ghost called Nick. 'Peeves has been causing trouble and we ghosts were holding council on whether or not to allow him to the feast. The Fat Friar was all for giving him a chance, but thankfully the Bloody Baron put his foot down.' James had no idea who any of these people were; he assumed they were more ghosts.

'Who's Peeves?' Sirius asked.

'A poltergeist,' Frank said nonchalantly. 'To say he's been causing trouble is like saying the sun came up this morning.'

'Yes, precisely,' agreed Nick. 'Well, good evening to you all,' he said, and glided over to the end of the table to talk with some of the other new students.

'Aren't poltergeists dangerous?' Lily asked.

'Not really,' Frank said. 'Well, some might be I suppose, but Peeves is really just a nuisance.'

Dinner continued, and James managed to get both Remus and Peter to talk, which he considered a great success. Even better, Lily did not snap at him once throughout the meal and even seemed to be warming up to Sirius by the time the food vanished and was replaced by a vast assortment of puddings. The girl sitting next to Lily – Mary, her name was – joined in too and the six of them seemed to have a nice little rapport going by the time Dumbledore stood up again and the leftover puddings disappeared.

'Welcome, new students, and to everyone else, welcome back!' he said cheerfully. 'I am delighted to see you all here, and hope that despite recent events, you are able to enjoy yourselves to the fullest and better yourselves through learning.' James knew what "recent events" Dumbledore was referring to, thanks to his father. Some nutter calling himself Vol-something-or-other had killed six people in Diagon Alley last month – all Muggle-borns – and declared more of the same was to come.

After a brief moment of silence, Dumbledore continued. 'First years please note that the Forbidden Forest is, as its name implies, forbidden to students. In addition, our caretaker Mr Filch has asked me to inform you that the list of banned objects now includes dungbombs and stink pellets. The full list is posted in Mr Filch's office, for those of you who are interested.' Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

'Lastly, I would like to welcome two new members of staff. After 52 years, Professor Furrow announced his retirement to me last June. Therefore please welcome Professor Sprout, who will be taking over the posts of both Herbology and Head of Hufflepuff House.' A short, slightly plump woman of perhaps middling years stood and waved, and there was a smattering of applause, mostly from the Hufflepuff table.

Sirius laughed. 'A Herbology professor named Sprout,' he guffawed. 'What are the odds?'

'Better than you'd think,' Frank said. 'During the middle ages, it was mostly only the really powerful families that had surnames, you know. A lot of people chose surnames for themselves or were given them by others, so if a witch or wizard was particularly talented in one area, they got a name to match. Now, this was all hundreds of years ago of course, but sometimes talent runs in the family, I guess.'

'How d'you know all that?' James asked. Another student sitting next to Frank answered.

'Because the berk actually pays attention during History of Magic.'

'Oi!' Frank hollered, though good-naturedly.

'Secondly,' Dumbledore continued, 'please give a round of welcome to Professor Plum, who will be taking over Defence Against the Dark Arts this year.' Lily broke into giggles for some reason, and when James looked at her questioningly, she waved him off as if to say, 'I'll tell you in a minute.' Professor Plum stood up; she was a young witch in perhaps her mid-twenties with shoulder-length glossy black hair. She was very short and had a tiny frame, and was wearing – naturally, James thought – plum coloured robes. Either she was immune to irony or she had a good sense of humour.

'The best of luck to both of them!' Dumbledore concluded when the applause faded away again. 'Now then, I believe I've rambled quite long enough. Off to bed!'

Noise filled the hall as hundreds of voices recommenced their private conversations and benches scraped the stone floor as people began standing from the table.

'They'll need it,' Frank said. 'Well, Plum will in any case.'

'What's that?' Sirius asked. 'Why?'

'She's teaching Defence,' Frank explained. 'In the entire time I've been here, not once has a Defence professor stayed on more than a year. They say the job's jinxed.'

James didn't really have anything to say to that, but there was something else he was curious about. 'So Evans, are you going to tell us what was so funny?'

'Oh, it's nothing,' she said. 'There's a Muggle game called Clue, where you're supposed to solve a murder, and one of the characters in it is named Professor Plum. He's an older bloke though, with big round glasses.'

Sirius found this to be particularly amusing. However, she had just confirmed something for James. 'So you are Muggle-born, then,' he said. 'I thought you might be.'

'What's wrong with that?' Lily demanded, her hackles clearly raised.

'Nothing!' James said quickly. 'It's just interesting, I guess. I figured you weren't pure-blood since I didn't recognize your surname, and I thought you might be Muggle-born because of how you reacted to the food.'

'Oh,' Lily said, deflating a bit.

'Speaking of surnames, that friend of yours,' Sirius said to her. 'Snape, was it? I don't recognize that, either. He's not Muggle-born too, is he?' He asked this as though he wouldn't believe her even if she said yes, and James didn't blame him. A Muggle-born knowing about the houses and actually choosing Slytherin was ridiculous.

'No, his mum's a witch,' Lily said. 'Not that it's any of your business.'

'Hey, no offence,' Sirius said, holding his hands out in front of him. 'I was just curious is all. What with him wanting to be in Slytherin and everything.' She gave him an odd look, but at that moment Frank stood up and called their attention.

'All first years this way please!' he said. He waited for everyone to gather around him. 'I'm about to take you to the Gryffindor common room. Make sure to remember the way as best you can. Marlene, can you get the back?'

'Sure,' said a pretty older girl with wavy, dark blonde hair. She too had a Prefect's badge on her robes and she began chivvying them into a line. James found himself behind Remus and Peter and in front of Sirius and Mary, whose dark brown ponytail reached halfway down her back, and whose nose seemed a bit too small for her face.

'What about you, MacDonald?' he asked as they were leaving the Great Hall. 'There was a pure-blood MacDonald family at one time, but I'm pretty sure they died out around a hundred years ago or so.'

'My parents are both Muggle-born,' she said shyly.

'Second generation, then!' Sirius announced excitedly. 'You grew up in the magical world, yeah?' Mary nodded.

'That's cool,' James said. 'Did you ever have any trouble?'

'A bit,' she replied. 'But we don't have a lot of contact with those type of people.'

'You will here,' Sirius said darkly. 'Good thing you're in Gryffindor and not…somewhere else.'

'Too right,' James agreed, and Mary nodded. 'We look after our own, after all.'

'So it's "we" already, is it?' Sirius joked.

'Hey, this may be new to you, but I've been a Gryffindor since I was born as far as I'm concerned.'

'How about you, Evans?' Sirius called back. The redhead was walking behind Mary, not paying any attention to the conversation and looking around in awe at the various portraits, tapestries and other wonders the castle had to offer.

'I'm sorry, what?' she asked.

'We got what we wanted,' Sirius said, indicating James and himself, 'and so did that Snape mate of yours. What about you?'

'Oh,' she said. 'Well, I don't really know much about the houses except what I've read and what I heard from the hat.' _And Severus_, she added in her head, but she wasn't going to say that. 'But from what I do know, Gryffindor seems right for me.'

They didn't have much chance to talk for the rest of the way up, because there were a lot of twists and turns, and at times it seemed like the castle itself was conspiring to keep them from reaching their destination. It was fantastic.

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Lily was almost dizzy by the time they finally made it to the common room. There were so many twists and turns; she'd never remember them all. Plus there were obstacles along the way. Poor Mary had gotten her leg caught in a step somewhere along the way.

The entrance had been the last thing she would have expected: instead of a door, there was a floor-to-ceiling portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress, which Frank informed them concealed the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

'There's a password,' he told them, after they'd all bunched up to hear. 'It changes every few weeks or so, so mind you're always up to date. You can't get in without it.' He turned to the portrait and said, 'Haberdasher'. Immediately, the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall through which they had to climb to get in.

All Lily's worries about getting lost left her head the moment she laid eyes on the common room. It was warm and cosy, with big plush couches and comfortable-looking armchairs. Red and gold flashed proudly from the carpet to the ceiling, and there were windows looking out over the grounds, through which she could see the now-clear starry sky. A roaring fire crackled on the far side, around which a large group of students had already gathered.

'Over there are the stairs to the dormitories,' Frank said. Lily looked where he was pointing and saw a pair of doors. 'You lot should be the first doors from the bottom. If you need anything, you can usually ask just about anyone, but a prefect will always be able to help you.' He bade them goodnight and left – presumably to talk to some of his friends.

Lily made her way over to the dormitory doors with the other first year girls and was stopped along the way by the round-faced third year girl from the train.

'Hello again!' the girl said cheerily. 'Nice to see you in Gryffindor.'

'Thanks,' Lily said, returning the smile. 'I'm Lily.'

'Nice to meet you, Lily. I'm Alice.' Alice put out her hand and Lily shook it. 'What about that friend of yours? Where's he?'

'Sev's in Slytherin,' Lily explained. When Alice's face took on what could only be described as a sympathetic expression, Lily was quick to add, 'It's okay though, that's what he wanted.'

'Really?' Alice asked, as though she couldn't imagine why anyone would want such a thing. 'Well I'm glad he got it then. I hope you both like it here.'

'Me too,' Lily agreed, though she was already certain she would.

Alice giggled, then tilted her head toward the dormitories. 'You'd better go before you get last pick on beds.'

'Eep!' Lily cried, and dashed off toward the stairs. One time around and she reached the first door, which had a plaque on it reading 'First Years'. Luckily, she hadn't arrived too late and the other four girls were still discussing whether or not anyone wanted to switch beds. Lily found that her things had already been brought up and laid out by one of the magnificent four-posters, and in the end it was decided that everyone was happy with what they'd been given. She went to bed as happy as she could ever remember doing so in her whole life.

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ASSUMPTIONS:

7. There are no foreign students at Hogwarts. This isn't something that people actively say, but I never really see anyone including any of them. This doesn't make much sense to me, considering we know studying abroad is an option and Hogwarts is at least as distinguished as places like Durmstrang, which does such things.

8. Lily hated James and Sirius right from the start. Okay, she obviously wasn't impressed with them on the train, but the idea that this would create in her such permanent negative feelings, especially during such an extraordinary experience, is ridiculous. There's no reason she wouldn't engage in casual conversation with them.

9. Frank, Alice, Marlene, and most if not all of the other Order members in Moody's picture were in Lily and James's year. Not only is this incredibly unlikely, it's kind of lazy.

10. Having muggle parents is the only way to be a "mudblood". I've no doubt that if both one's parents were muggle-born magical folk, that would make absolutely no difference to the pure-blood racists, despite one of their stated objections being that "mudbloods" haven't been "brought up to know our ways". Thus I took a known target – Mary MacDonald, and did something a little different with her parentage.

11. Alice and Frank are in the same year. Even when #9 is played with, this one never is. I don't know why.

That's it for this one. Writing the Sorting Song was kind of fun. Hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you in chapter three. Reviews are always welcome.


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